diff --git a/test/common/autotest_common.sh b/test/common/autotest_common.sh
index e47d0ba24..b3042f377 100644
--- a/test/common/autotest_common.sh
+++ b/test/common/autotest_common.sh
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ if [ -z "$output_dir" ]; then
 fi
 
 TEST_MODE=
-TEST_TRANSPORT=rdma
 for i in "$@"; do
 	case "$i" in
 		--iso)
diff --git a/test/nvmf/common.sh b/test/nvmf/common.sh
index 614056c8a..a33c557b2 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/common.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/common.sh
@@ -157,6 +157,10 @@ function nvmfcleanup()
 
 function nvmftestinit()
 {
+	if [ -z $TEST_TRANSPORT ]; then
+		echo "transport not specified - use --transport= to specify"
+		return 1
+	fi
 	if [ "$TEST_MODE" == "iso" ]; then
 		$rootdir/scripts/setup.sh
 		rdma_device_init
diff --git a/test/nvmf/nvmf.sh b/test/nvmf/nvmf.sh
index 5a28ba2a9..5aa4d4763 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/nvmf.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/nvmf.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ timing_enter nvmf_tgt
 
 trap "exit 1" SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT
 
-TEST_ARGS=
+TEST_ARGS=--transport=rdma
 
 run_test suite test/nvmf/target/filesystem.sh $TEST_ARGS
 run_test suite test/nvmf/target/discovery.sh $TEST_ARGS